AnnA: Not Another Civilian
by theheartsbeat
Summary: Seconds from that moment when the great Dr. Manhattan has his immense realization of great truth, Laurie will make love to her one and only love . His name is Daniel. Seconds from that moment, a man will die. His name is Rorschach. Seconds from that moment, Laurie will have a little girl. Her name is Anna. Years from that moment, the most unlikely of people will meet.
1. Chapter 1

**First off, I would like to thank coffee. Thank you for existing. And chocolate, oh, I hate to think of life without you :'( **

**But my first notion of thanks (to actual people) is to heartbeat311. You kind of saved my ass on this one, and stopped me from screwing up! You're a genius, you know that, right?**

**And another is to my sister, who I refer to as Satan's Spawn, but I guess every older sister is called that XD. She's the one who introduced to me to Watchmen, and to comic books in general. Thanks, sis (but I will never forgive you for eating that turkey leg!).**

**And the last is for Rorschach, even though, sometimes, he is a huge douche. But I still obsess over him! Haha!**

**Let's get this show on the road!**

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AnnA: Not Another Civilian

Chapter One: Problem Child

"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you."

― Thomas Jefferson

* * *

And now, we must wait. Here on this planet, ruled by sand that is shaded pink, a rosy, cheerful color. But where did such a lively color come from when life has not yet reached this place? But, it has been visited. Oh, by visitors that are strange. First, a man, sorrow wrapping up his whole mind, looking as blue (in more ways than one) as the planet he has come from. Pulsing with brilliant light, eyes that mimic the very beauty of the universe. Cosmos and life itself seem to swim in his eyes, yet they are filled with cold and unfeeling space. Those eyes seem to hold no compassion for life. They are frosted by the disgust of the people that cling to the speck of mud floating in space, in cold, unfeeling space. That is what is mirrored in those eyes. Those majestic eyes.

The second was a woman, beautiful and lively; you could easily tell that the Indestructible Man had a certain kind of respect and love for her, even though she was another animal that grasp onto that pathetic rock. She is irritated, and extremely emotional. But emotions are not bad, you must realize, reader. Her emotions led to the salvation of the human race. She is in a way, the mother of life.

_Salvation. Where did this salvation come from? From the one who set peace back into the world, the glorious Ozymandias?_

** No. No, it was not.**

_Then, how? He is noble in his ways, devoting time and soul into the future. He saved the world. He saved peace._

**And to what cost? He killed innocent people. He is not the one to deliver us. Not the one to save.**

It was the woman. It was Laurie.

She's able to convince her past love that humans aren't worthless. Not even the bad ones are worthless. They just got caught up in all of the lust for wealth, possessions, love... she is able to prove that they deserve life, because life is beautiful. It's so fragile, so easily destroyed, so unique.

Months from that moment when the great Dr. Manhattan has his immense realization of great truth, Laurie will have a little girl. Her name will be Anna.

Hours from that moment, Laurie will make love to her one and only love. His name is Daniel.

Seconds from that moment, a man will die. His name is Rorschach.

Years from that moment, the most unlikely of people will meet.

From that moment, salvation was birthed onto the people. Now, they only need to accept it.

But, for now, we must wait. For the third visitor of the red planet.

* * *

May 8th, 1992

Father sits me on his lap, the smoke from the cigarette that is poised between his index finger and his middle finger drifts upward, and finds itself caught up in the blades of the ceiling fan. His usually tidy hair is messy from today's work.

"Anna," he addresses me, his cigarette now extinguished, the dying ashes of the tobacco giving off a smell, a smell I didn't really like, especially because it irritated my nose. "How was school?"

I glance down as he says my name and asks his completely harmless question, and mindlessly fiddle with the hem of my dress, my favorite dress, the dark blue one with the tiny white dots and see-through sleeves, trying to avoid the question. But as the silence stretches on, I start to worry that maybe he'll punish me if I don't answer.

School? Mrs. Hester's second grade class of Exton Heights Elementary was tolerable, except for the nasty thing Sarah Thompson said to my best friend, Madison, that earned her a nice punch in the face.

"Fine," I manage to squeak out, a pitiful excuse of an answer. God, can I sound any more frightened out of my mind?

Mother passes by the doorway of the living room, carrying a basket of laundry, and we hear her shout, "Anything but fine, Daniel!"

Wow, Momma was pissed. She only called Daddy 'Daniel' when she was really mad, because his real name was Sam, and she only used his 'other name' when something serious was going on or, you guessed it, she was ready to blow a fuse. I don't know why he has another name. They've never explained it to me.

"Anna," Daddy warns.

"I just got a little mad," I whisper. "I didn't mean to."

I feel his brown eyes continue to give me that cautioning look, and I can only lower my head like a sad puppy. I don't have the guts nor the heart to look back, like that little game we play, the 'Stare-at-Daddy-and-make-him-feel-weird' game. It was really fun to play, mostly cause I like Daddy's eyes, the dark brown mixing in with light gold. Mom says I have his eyes.

"A little?", Momma comments as she cruises by the doorway again, only this time she has magazines piled in her arms, along with loose newspaper scattered throughout the collection.

The heat that nestles my cheeks spread farther out, and I'm sure I resemble a red fire engine.

"Anna Idolon Hollis, what earned you that trip to the principal's office?", Father asks in a more serious tone, intimidating and scary.

Tears well-up in my eyes.

"Sarah called Mad a boy. That's not fair. She can dress and act however she wants. She's human too," I say, words slurred over my tears. I rub the chiffon sleeve over my eyes, and it hurts. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I just wanted Mad to know it's okay to be herself."

Here, he is taken back. He presses his mouth into a thin line, and he raises my face to look at him.

"Little Owl, that's kind of you to stand up for your friend. But hurting that girl won't solve anything. You have to find another way to answer the problem, preferably without violence," he says gently, after taking out a handkerchief and wiping away my tears.

"Then... how?"

Again, Daddy is stumped. Then, I didn't understand why he paused, contemplating his next words. But it only three years, I would.

Momma comes up beside us and wraps an arm around Father's shoulders.

"What you're supposed to do is find a diplomatic way to figure it out. Violence isn't always the answer."

I look up at them, eyes filled with wonder.

And I say something. Something that puts deep into fate, an alteration that even to this day, puzzles me.

"But what if violence is the problem?"

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**AN: So, end of the first chapter! Please, please, tell me what you think. **

**Can't wait to get Chapter Two:'Her Choice, Her Fate' up... which will be soon. Hopefully ^-^**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, uh, wow. Thank you to all who reviewed! I'm happy to post this new chapter, and sadly, I'm going to take this whole story nice and slow, so if you like, I am so sorry. But I hope you enjoy! I really do! **

AnnA: Not Another Civilian

Chapter Two: Her Choice, Her Fate

* * *

It always begins fuzzy. I don't know what _it_ is, but all I know is that..._ it_ begins hazy, scattered, like a badly taken photo.

Then I start to feel me head tilt back; someone pulling my hair. They're tying my cascading locks in a bun, and I'm cold. My neck feels exposed and I'm freezing.

They push me through a door, a large dark wooden-trimmed door. It's massive. Pillars of marble stand like knights in orderly rows, and people fill the hall. They're dancing, twirling and spinning like moths on the surface a lake, kissing the light that reflects on the pool of water.

I feel the weight of layers of silk burden my legs, and I can't walk fast enough. Fast enough to my destination. Whatever it is.

Despite the slow pace I carry, I somehow end up in the place I know I need to be, in the center of the crowd of the sweeping dresses and nice suits. I feel my eyes glance around, unsure and nervous.

_What was I doing here? _

The crowd becomes a blur, caught up in the frenzy of dancing, careless, while I'm stuck in the painfully dreamy and crawling rate of turning and observing the crowd, looking. Looking for something.

My head spins, and my hand reaches out for anything. Anything that can cut me loose of the ties that idle through time.

A flash of yellow, a cool color of frozen honey sends another freezing chill down spine. A arctic hand grabs my flailing one, and I instantly recoil. An algid breath breezes over my neck, now clinging to me despite my efforts to push it back. Away from me.

The glacial figure pulls me into a dance, frosty dips and hasty glides over the marble floor gains constant tingles through my bones, my want away from the cold, away from this place.

As a start to fight my way out of the chilling embrace, a sharp pain comes from my side. I look down, to see red stains flooding the sea of white that is my dress, clear beads are sewn into a swarm of crystal on the bodice. Air escapes my mouth as a fall to the floor, again slowed to the steady pace of molasses. My insides lurch and I feel my hand coming up to my mouth to catch the flow of blood that pours out of my wounded body.

I feel my muscles twitch and shutter, pain continuing to burst within me. My heart slows. It feels odd.

As I lie here, dying, warmth approaches, carefully and slow.

Someone says my name, and as I raise my head to answer, warm hands grasp mine, melting through the cold that rested on me, a weight that would not dissipate. Softly, they press my bloodied hand to my spotless one.

Words are whispered in my ear, but I fail to make sense of it. Before I can ask to hear whatever they said again, the warmth leaves, leaving me struggling to keep myself calm as I slip into a black sleep, to never awaken.

My sights land on my pressed-together, cold hands and I slowly open them.

The blood is mirrored onto the other hand, bright red blots reflecting each other.

Fearful symmetry.

* * *

I shoot up, my head reeling and a silent scream resting on my lips. I don't utter a sound.

The first thing I notice is the falling rain that pounds on the window, off to the right. Second, is the open door that goes out into the hallway, light pooling on the pale carpet, creeping in a few feet into my room.

I glance around my bedroom, the small area that was all mine, and my presence breathed all over the walls, floors, and dressers. My open closet is messy, forgotten clothes littering the floor.

_I'll clean it the morning..., _I promise to myself, silently knowing I would uphold such a loosely uttered oath.

I stand up, slowly, catching myself as my head whirls like butter on a hot pan, sizzling and warm as hell fire, and I try to steady my breathing as my hand rests on the nightstand beside my bed.

_Uhh... I hate all of these migraines..._

Clumsily, I wrap my dark blue comforter around me, one of my socks sliding within the folds. I stumble up, a hand still resting on my forehead.

"Ugh," I grumble aloud, my eyes shut, as if to shut off the pain.

I kick up the comforter that pools around my feet in attempt to walk, and I shuffle out of my bedroom door and into the hallway. I glance left, to mom and dad's room, the door closed, and I suspected that they were asleep. I turn right, toward the kitchen and living room, to see an ominous blue light flickering. It brightens every now and then, but quickly fades. My eyebrows drew together, my breath caught deep inside of me.

I inched forward down the long hall, passing the doors to the guest bedroom and bathroom that were on the right side, and then father's study on the left. I wasn't allowed in there.

Once the living room, I see that the flickering light is the T.V., left on most likely by my forgetful father, but even more ominous is that the kitchen light is on. I can see the glowing yellow walls, the white cabinets that are dazzling underneath the bright light.

Slowly, I tip-toe closer, my heart racing.

_What if it's a burglar? Oh, no... Should I wake up mom and dad?_

Not a moment later, I hear my mother's soft voice sound from the kitchen.

"...absurd, Daniel. I can't even believe you even _suggested _this!"

"I know, Laurie... It's just... been on my mind," Father's voice answers, unsure.

No one talks for a second until mom whispers, "I just don't want her caught up in that... she's too precious to us, Dan... I can't... lose her that way. To lose her mind in training, in the death, in the _corruptness _of it all! Not my Anna. No. Anyone but her."

A shiver runs through me as she says my name. I pull the comforter around my shoulders tighter, biting my lip.

"I know, I know. I just want to talk about it, Laurie. Just talk with me," Dad almost pleas, desperately wanting to point out something to my mother. My _hard-headed_ mother.

Mother is quiet, and I know she is frowning at my father, her eyes solid on his face. Her arms are crossed and she leans on the counter.

"I'm listening."

With a sigh, my father begins. "I've seen many, many terrible things happen in my years as a masked adven-"

"Oh, Christ, Daniel. Don't you dare say that word in my house," Mom hisses.

Again, dad sighs and starts, "My years as a costumed extremist, then."

"Don't patronize me. I'm in no mood for that shit."

"Fine. As a vigilante. Better?"

Mom is silent.

"Alright. My years as a vigilante. So many horrible and disgusting things. Rape. Murder. Terrorists. Arsonists. The greed of politicians. The lust of pimps. The horrid nature of so many criminals. My conscious was weighed down by my want to put them in jail. And for some... a lot of them, actually, deserved death in my book. A painful and excruciating death. And the only way to vent was to take matters into my own hands. I saw terrible things, Laurie -no- _we _saw horrible things. And although are reasons are so different, and are methods and morals different too... We were able to find each other. Find solace in one another. We created our beautiful Anna... and I wouldn't trade all those awful things I saw for the world."

"...Your point?"

"Let Anna be informed."

"No."

"Laurie-"

"I said no!" Mom screams, and I jump three feet in the air. Luckily, I don't make any noise.

All is utterly silent until dad speaks.

"The world was bad a decade ago, Laurie. And it still is. It's worse, if I say so myself. Adrian's 'master plan' for 'great salvation' has done nothing. Nothing, Laurie. Anna is going to be raised in this goddamned society and will think nothing of it! She will learn that if you conform, you will be saved! That if you comply with the mass's standards, you will rake in the big money! My daughter deserves so much more than that! She deserves-"

"What?," Mom roars, her face must likely red. "Does she deserve _that_, Daniel? For our daughter to sacrifice all that time and energy on this forsaken earth? To be put in danger and place her in front of bullets and maniacs? Do you want that for her? For Anna? That's a load of bullsh-"

"Do you want her to be blinded to all this evil? Everyday people die at the hands of gangs and are neglected by their leaders! People are starving! They are decaying on the whim of bastards that only think of their money! Anna has a chance to make her own decisions, to make something of herself. She is being raised by two vigilantes, Laurie. You and me. A team. And together, we can save her. We can save her innocence."

"By training her to kill people? By telling her to beat the shit out of anyone that goes against the law? That sound too much like Rorscha-"

"Don't. Don't say his name."

"You know it is," Mom hisses. "He ran around that city looking for a way to release his anger on society, a way to release anger. He was no better than murderer."

"He tried, Laurie! Just because the people did not accept his salvation, they pinned all the blame on him! Because he fell short just by a little, they treated him as the scapegoat! They went against him! They-"

"No! He was a rampaging murderer! What if Anna became that? Became a monster? Became Rorschach?!"

"Laurie! This is getting out of hand! You've never like Rorschach, and you hold no respect for what he did for us!"

"My baby will_ never _a part of our old lives, Daniel! I will not allow it! She will not become such a horrible creature."

"I think you just hold bitter feelings to the idea because your mother forced you into the lifestyle of a vigilante, Laurie. Just consider it, honey. Anna is smart. She is brave, she can handle such hardships... she's like her mother."

Mom laughs. "A bitch?"

They both share a chuckle, and I feel ice in veins.

I've never seen, let alone heard my parents fight before. Such an intense use of language startled me. This was an important topic they were talking about. And it involved me. I felt my lips tremble and tears threaten my eyes. So suddenly they had disregarded the conversation and changed it. I could barely hear the words they said now.

"...so you _will_ think about it?"

"I don't know Daniel... I really don't."

"That's alright. But soon, it'll be her tenth birthday. Maybe if you agree, we'll tell her then."

Then it hit me. My parents were keeping a secret from me. A _big _secret. They were leaving me in the dark to preserve my innocence, of my ignorance to the whole ordeal.

What did it all mean? I was so confused. I didn't know what to do. I was scared. My cheeks burned hot and tears boiled in my eyes.

I was confused and shaking as torrents of water flowed down my face. I miraculously kept the screams within me.

The bright light that shone from the kitchen became silhouetted with two figures.

"Anna?!", my father exclaimed, astonished.

My mother soon joined me on floor, sobs echoing throughout the house.

"M-m-my Anna... no... no..."

* * *

**So, that was intense... Drop a review, if you wish! Have a wonderful day!  
**


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